Refrigerating Device Having Decorative Frames

ABSTRACT

A refrigerating device which comprises a body and a door which is articulated to the body and which defines a heat-insulating inner chamber, and a decorative element which is superimposed in the door in an adjustable manner. A gap between an edge of a central section of the decorative element and a front side of the door is filled by an expandable profile.

The present invention relates to a refrigeration device which comprises a body and a door which is articulated to the body, and a decorative element which is superimposed in the door an adjustable manner.

Built-in refrigeration devices are conventionally disguised by a decorative element in the form of a panel which completely hides the door of the refrigeration device. With such a refrigeration device the position of the decorative plate must be able to be adjusted in a number of directions in order to be able to guarantee that it is flush with the neighboring furniture fronts and is separated from these by a gap of equal width.

Provision of the door of a wine cooler cabinet with a decorative element in the form of a wooden frame is also known, which leaves a glass window of the door free, so that the contents of the wine storage cabinet is visible without the door having to be opened. Such a frame is conventionally mounted on the door without any gap. This makes it very difficult to adjust the frame exactly, so that it fits in harmoniously with adjacent furniture fronts in the same manner as is known by users of built-in devices.

The techniques for adjustable fitting of a decorative element known from refrigeration devices are unsatisfactory here, since the gap between door and decorative element required for an adjustment in the depth direction is clearly visible at the edge of this section and there is the danger of dirt or small foreign bodies getting into the gap.

The object of the present invention is to further develop a refrigeration device with a body and a door articulated onto the body and a decorative element which is superimposed on the door in an adjustable manner in such a way that the danger of contamination of the gap between decorative element and door is avoided even if the decorative element has a central cutout section.

The object is achieved by the gap between one edge of the central cutout section of the decorative element and a front side of the door being filled by a profile able to be adapted to the width of the gap.

The adaptable profile which bridges and closes off the gap can extend over the entire extent of the central cutout section or only over a part thereof. It is especially conceivable for the profile to be omitted at an upper edge of the central section, where foreign bodies cannot easily enter. For aesthetic reasons in particular however a profile is preferably provided which extends over the entire extent of the central cutout section.

The gap is closed off permanently especially safely when, according to a particular embodiment of the invention, there is provision for the profile to automatically adapt elastically to the width of the gap.

As a result of a further embodiment the profile comprises a band able to be compressed between the door and the decorative element, made of foam material for example.

According to a simple embodiment this band is in direct contact with the door on one side and with the decorative element of the other side.

According to another embodiment the profile can comprise two overlapping webs, of which one is fixed in relation to the door and the other in relation to the decorative element.

These two webs are preferably first limbs of a first or of a second L-profile, with a second arm of the first L-profile in contact with the door and a second arm of the second L-profile with the decorative element.

The compressible band mentioned above can be arranged between the second limbs in order to push these apart and hold them pressed against the door or against the decorative element respectively.

Alternatively the second limbs can be connected to each other elastically in one piece. In this case the compressible band for pushing the second limbs apart can be omitted.

Preferably the first L-profile lies loosely on the door, so that if the decorative element is moved to adjust it in the height or width direction of the refrigeration device the profile can glide on the surface of the door. Alternatively it would also be possible to let the second profile rest loosely on the decorative element, with however it being difficult in this case to guarantee a flush positioning of the webs in relation to the edge of the central cutout section.

To ensure that during an adjustment movement of the decorative element in the height or width direction the two L-profiles follow exactly, there can be provision for the first profile to include a third web which together with the first web delimits a groove into which the second web engages.

Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from the subsequent exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the enclosed figures. The figures show:

FIG. 1 a perspective view of a wine chiller cabinet as an exemplary embodiment of an inventive refrigeration device;

FIG. 2 a section through an edge area of the door of the wine chiller cabinet and a decorative frame mounted on said door;

FIG. 3 a variation of FIG. 2 in a simplified cross-sectional view;

FIG. 4 a schematic cross section similar to that shown in FIG. 3 through door and frame as claimed in a second embodiment; and

FIG. 5 a schematic cross section similar to that shown in FIG. 3 through door and frame as claimed in a fourth embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a wine chiller cabinet with a carcass 1, a door 2 articulated onto the body 1 and, shown spaced away from the door 2, a decorative frame 3 made of wood which is intended to be mounted on the door 2. The door 2 is essentially embodied by an insulated glass panel 4 of a design known per se which at its four edges is enclosed by aluminum profiles 5 rigidly connected to each other. On one of the profiles 5, which forms the upper limit of the door, a rail 6 is fitted which is used for hanging the decoration frame 3. The decoration frame 3 completely hides the profile 5 in the assembled state.

Accommodated in a plinth 7 below the thermally-insulated body 1 are compressor and condenser of a wine chiller cabinet cooling system. A ventilation grille 8 on the front of the plinth 7 is hidden by a decoration frame 3 extended at its lower edge beyond the outline of the door 2.

The inner chamber of the body 1 is visible through the insulated glass panel 4. Arranged within this is a plurality of bottle racks 9 which are each embodied by front and rear cross supports 10 and trays 11 suspended between these cross supports 10 extending downwards in the wine chiller cabinet in the shape of cylinder segments. Each of the trays 11 can accommodate a bottle stored on its side.

FIG. 2 shows a section through a vertical edge of the door 2 and a trim strip 12 of the decoration frame 3 installed in front of it, as claimed in a first embodiment if the invention. The structure of the insulation panel 4 made from two parallel sheets of glass 13, 14 can be seen from this section, with a gap being maintained between said panes by an aluminum profile 15 keeping them aligned in parallel. A sealing compound 16 applied around the outside of the profile 15 forms an airtight seal for the space between sheets of glass 13, 14

The aluminum profile 5 forming the frame of the door 2 is a hollow profile with a roughly rectangular cross section. Two of the four sides of the basic element form an outer side 17 or a front side 18, which is opposite the trim strip 12 and separated from it by a gap 19. The front side 18 is extended inwards by a web 20 set back slightly in the depth direction of the device which serves as a stop for the outer glass sheet 13. Two webs 22, 23 projecting from a rear side 21 of the basic element delimit a cutout into which is hooked an extruded profile element 24 made of plastic. An elastic limb 25 of the extruded profile element 24 holds the insulation pane 4 pressed against the web 20. This limb 25 thus fixes the insulating pane 4, on the other hand it simultaneously, prevents air from the inner chamber of the body reaching the aluminum profile 5 with its good thermal insulation and cooling the latter down.

A magnetic seal 26 known per se and thus not described here in detail is anchored in a groove 27 of the extruded profile element 24.

Extending within the gap 19 is a band 28 made of compressible foam material. The band 28 essentially seals flush against the inner edge 29 of the trim strip 12 and thus prevents the ingress of dirt and foreign bodies into the gap 19. The band 28 typically has a thickness of appr. 10 mm; such a band might adapt to widths of the gap 19 of between 10 and appr. 3 mm.

While the band 28 is preferably attached to the strip 12 by adhesion, e.g. with the aid of a double-sided adhesive tape, it merely rests on the glass pane 13, without being directly attached thereto. The band can thus slide back and forth on the door 20 when the decoration panel is adjusted in the height or width direction.

FIG. 3 shows a simplified diagram of a variation of the embodiment from FIG. 2. Here too a band 28 made from compressible foam material is clamped between the strip 12 and the insulated glass panel 24, in order to close the gap 19 tightly despite its variable width. To guarantee that it is easy to clean, the band 28 is provided here with an impervious surface layer 30 which partly covers the inner edge 29 of the trim strip 12 and extends from this in a concave curve to the insulated glass pane 4. The contact surface between the band 28 and the pane 4 is also at least in part embodied by the impervious layer 30. This allows the pane 4 and the decorative frame 3 to be wiped with a damp cloth, without this rubbing dirt into the foam band 28. The front of the device thus retains a permanently attractive appearance.

A further variation which is conceivable, but which is not shown, is to replace the impervious layer 30 by an extruded profile of the same cross section which is glued to the edge 29 and has enough density to press elastically against the pane 4; the foam band 28 can then be omitted.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 4 in a section similar to that depicted in FIG. 3. Here too a compressible foam band 28 extends between the frame 12 and the insulated glass pane 4, however the band 28 is inserted here between two L-profiles 31, 35. The first profile 31 has a first limb 32, which forms a flush-fitting extension of the inner edge 29 of the strip trim 12, and a second limb 33 glued, tacked or attached in some other way to the trim strip 12. The foam band 28 is glued to the side of the limb 33 facing away from the strip 12. The first limb 32 delimits together with a parallel third limb 34 a groove, into which a first limb 36 of the second L-profile 35 engages. Its second limb 37 is likewise glued to the foam band 28 and lies against the insulated glass pane 4. Depending on the width of the gap 19 the limb 36 extends different distances into the groove between the limbs 32, 34. The mating limbs 32, 34, 36 protect the foam band 28 against moisture and dirt.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 the compressible foam band 28 is omitted, and the second limbs 33, 37 of the L-profile 31, 35 are connected to each other in one piece at their edges facing away from the first limbs 32 or 36 respectively. The limb 37 is held under bending tension so that the profile 35 presses elastically against the insulating glass pane 4. Depending on the width of the gap 19, the first limbs 32, 36 of the L-profile overlap by different amounts. 

1-12. (canceled)
 13. A refrigeration device with a body and a door articulated onto the body which surround a thermally-insulated inner chamber, and with a decorative element which is superimposed on the door in an adjustable manner, characterized in that a gap between an edge of a central cutout section of the decorative element and a front side of the door is filled by a profile adaptable to the width of the gap. 